Italian Government

vs.
U.S. Government
Brad Anderson

Governments/
Constitution
ITALY

Prime Minister: Mario

Monti
Appointed Official (by
President)
Length of Term Varies
Must have a political
background. No distinct
requirements found.

UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA

President: Barack Obama

Elected Official
4 year term
Must be at least 35 years
old, must have been born
a U.S. Citizen while also
living here at least 14
years.

Lawmaking Body
ITALY

Parliament
Bicameral
Senate: 326 seats
Chamber of Deputies:
630 seats

UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA

Congress
Bicameral
Senate: 100 seats
House of
Representatives: 435
seats

Bill of Rights
ITALY

Partly free freedom of

speech/press. (One of the
lowest levels in Europe)
They have freedom of
religion.
The right to keep/bear
arms in Italy is not
recognized, however,
different types of gun
licenses can be obtained
from the national police
authorities.

UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA

Freedom of
Speech/Press,
Freedom of Religion,
and Right to Bear
Arms.

Political Parties
ITALY

UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA
Two Party System

Multi- Party System

Democratic Party- the party has promoted a socially

Five Star Movement-The party is populist,

ecologist, and partially Eurosceptic. It also
advocates direct democracy and free access to
the Internet, and condemns corruption.

liberal and progressive platform

Republican Party- the party's platform is generally
based upon American conservatism

Democratic Party- They are strongly

influenced by the ideas of social
democracy and the Christian lefts.

The People of Freedom- The party's main

cultural strains are Christian democracy and
liberal conservatism
Civic Choice- support the outgoing Prime
Minister Mario Monti and his reform plans.
Northern League- is a federalist and
regionalist political party in Italy. It was
founded in 1991 as a federation of several
regional parties of Northern and Central
Italy, most of which had arisen and
expanded their share of the electorate over
the 1980s.

Minor Parties:
Libertarian Party- The political platform of the
Libertarian Party reflects the ideas of
libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated
markets, a less powerful state, strong civil
liberties, the repeal of laws banning recreational
and medical use of drugs, separation of church
and state, open immigration, non-interventionism
and neutrality in diplomatic relations freedom of
trade and travel to all foreign countries, and a
more responsive and direct democracy

Green Party- The Green Party of the United

States of America emphasizes environmentalism,

non-hierarchical participatory democracy, social
justice, respect for diversity, peace, and nonviolence.
Constitution Party- The party currently puts a
large focus on immigration, calling for stricter
penalties towards illegal immigrants and a
moratorium on legal immigration until all federal
subsidies to immigrants are discontinued

Elections and Voting

ITALY

UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA

18 to vote, but 25 to
vote in senate
elections. No other
specific qualifications.
Votes are held about
every 5 years.
Presidential elections
are held every 7 years.
They have both Primary
and General Elections.

Must be 18 to vote, be a
United States citizen, at your
present address at least 30
days before an election, not be
in jail or on parole for a felony
conviction, and not claim the
right to vote elsewhere.
Local Elections held yearly.
Presidential elections every 4
years, Senatorial elections
every 6 years, House of
Republican elections held
every 2 years. Have both
primary and general elections.

Taxes and Government

Finance
ITALY

They have a progressive income

tax
They make money through cash
receipts from taxes, social
contributions, and other
revenues such as fines, fees,
rent, and income from property
or sales. Grants are also
considered as revenue but are
excluded here.
1.8 % of GDP spent on military
4.3% of GDP spent on education
14.2% of GDP spent on
healthcare

UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA

Progressive Income Tax

Make money through fines,
sale of public land, toll
booths, and taxes.
19.3% of GDP is spent on
military
19.3% of GDP is spent on
healthcare
17.1% of GDP is spent on
education

Law
ITALY

Prison Population: 61,721 people

No death penalty
In Italy, only Italian citizens are
eligible to be judges. Italy's
independent judiciary has special
constitutional protection from the
executive branch. Once appointed,
judges serve for life and cannot be
removed without specific
disciplinary proceedings through
due process. The Ministry of Justice
handles the administration of courts
and judiciary, including paying
salaries. The Ministry of Justice also
proposes legislation dealing with
matters of civil or criminal justice.

UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA

Prison Population: 2,266,800 people

Death Penalty allowed in 33 states,
22 do not allow it.
The United States has two court
systems, state and federal. State
systems vary from state to state,
whereas the federal system is a
standard for the entire U.S. The
federal courts include the supreme
court.

Relations with the U.S.

The

United States have a warm and very friendly relations with Italy. The United
States has had diplomatic representation in the nation of Italy and its
predecessor nation, the Kingdom of Sardinia, since 1840, with a break in
relations from 1941 to 1944, while Italy and the United States were at war.
Italy remains a strong and active transatlantic partner which, along with the
United States, has sought to foster democratic ideals and international
cooperation in areas of strife and civil conflict. Toward this end, the Italian
Government has cooperated with the United States in the formulation of defense,
security, and peacekeeping policies. Under longstanding bilateral agreements
flowing from NATO membership, Italy hosts important U.S. military forces at
Vicenza and Livorno (army); Aviano (air force); and Sigonella, Gaeta, and Naples-home port for the U.S. Navy Sixth Fleet. The United States has about 11,500
military personnel stationed in Italy. Italy hosts the NATO Defense College in
Rome.
Italy is a leading partner in counterterrorism efforts. The two are NATO allies and
cooperate in the United Nations, in various regional organizations, and bilaterally
for peace, prosperity, and security.
Central

Intelligence Agency. Central Intelligence Agency, n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2015.